Aim: What Can We Learn About the Giant Panda?

Instructional Objectives: 

   Students use the Internet to locate information on the giant panda.

   Students will use a drawing/word processing program such as     Kid Pix to summarize information.

Time Required:

   The main activity in this lesson takes at least two 45 minute class periods to complete.  Depending on the students' ability and the number of computers available in your room, the extension activity can take up to 2 class periods.   

Materials:  One copy for each students of Panda Quiz, Panda Article, and the Animal Planning Sheet.
 

Advance Preparation:

   If you do not have access to several class computers, you can also have students look through nonfiction books  and encyclopedias.

   

Vocabulary:  mammal, habitat

                                                                                                       

Activity:

      Students will link to Panda Information to research and learn more about this animal.  Enchanted Learning also provides a quiz so you can assess the students comprehension and memorization of the material.

        Two very famous giant pandas- Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, are housed at the Smithsonian National Zoo's site.  Here students can find more information on this animal, watch live views from the zoo's PandaCam.  After browsing the links, students can take the Panda Challenge- an online self correcting quiz.

        Give each student a copy of the Panda Article to complete.

 

Extension: 

        Students will use Kid Pix to draw a picture of the giant panda in their natural habitat,  and write a paragraph about what they  have learned about the animal.
 

Homework: 

        Give students the opportunity to learn about an animal from China of their choice.  To get a list of other animals from China have students start their research at Animals of China.

        Give each student a copy of the Animal Planning Sheet to organize their ideas and facts.
  

Evaluation:

        The quiz from Enchanted Learning provides you with  information on how well students use the Internet for research.  Questions to ask yourself are: How long did it take for the student to complete this activity?  How accurate and detailed are their answers?

        Even more important to assess is the Panda Paragraph.  This gives you an idea of how much information students have retained and taken with them from using the Internet as a learning tool.  How accurate and detailed were their facts?  Does their panda habitats reflect what life is like in the wild?